


Selfish

by allpoppies



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 04:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13182783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allpoppies/pseuds/allpoppies
Summary: “You….you idiot! How could you think that? How could you be so selfish?”





	Selfish

“You….you idiot! How could you think that? How could you be so selfish?” 

Ed reflexively flinched back at Winry’s heated words, conditioned by past encounters with her reliable wrench. But instead of another expected bruising, he heard the floorboards creak as Winry pushed her chair back from his automail arm and turned the other way out of exasperation. 

He looked away too, sitting up and studying the bedsheets surrounding him, fuming inside about how she never understood what he was trying to say. All Ed tried to do was explain himself while she was working on his arm, and she had to go and blow her top at him again. Couldn’t she just get that he was trying to keep everyone safe? But she was right after all - it was hard for him to stop the impulse to protect: to protect Al, protect Granny, protect her. And while that desire to protect was altruistic, it was still self-centered in nature. 

He noticed her strained, angry fists and how she was biting her lip so hard he was surprised he didn’t see blood. And then it hit him: “The next time I make you cry, it’ll be tears of joy!” He was so damn focused on keeping his promises to everyone that he forgot the ones that he had made to her. But she hadn’t forgotten. She was fighting every urge to let tears roll down her cheek, and it hit him harder than any wrench she threw at him ever would.

He really was an idiot. 

“Winry I… I didn’t mean to… Listen I just….”, Ed trailed off, searching for what to say. Dammit, why were words always so difficult? She at least turned to glare at him, which was progress (he guessed). He stood up, holding her irked blue eyes in his gaze. “I… I’m just trying to protect you. Who knows what could happen?” His voice raising in frustration, he added, “They know to use you as a hostage, they know you mean too much to-”

“To you? Oh wow, a selfish statement yet again!” she snapped at him, standing up to close the distance between them. “The famous Fullmetal Alchemist never stops to think about another human being, never stops to think about how his actions affect others! Did you even think about how anyone else feels because of you? How I feel? You...” She stopped to look down at the floorboards, biting her lip again. “Please,” she whispered quietly, her voice breaking and breaking Ed’s heart as well.

“I… I’m so sorry, Winry. I’m so sorry,” he murmured. Ed could feel her trembling and it rattled his heart further. He stepped closer until they were almost touching. “I didn’t mean…” Feeling words fail him again, he placed his hands on her shoulder and pushed his temple to hers, and Winry shut her eyes in response. He still could feel her quivering under his fingers, from anger or grief he didn’t know, but he felt waves of guilt wash over him when he felt how much he had upset her. He let his hands drift down her arms and felt her shiver from his touch, and caught her hands tightly in his. How did he always manage to worry her like this? He had to give the poor girl reprieve from all of the crap he had put her through. 

He pulled her nearer to him, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her beneath his chin. “Just this once,” he whispered. “I’ll forget my promises to everyone, and you can forget yours.” He heard her breath hitch for a moment as she realized what he meant, and then felt his shirt growing damp. Tears that Winry had been holding in for what felt like months poured down her cheeks and onto his chest, growing from sniffles into sobs that shook her entire body.

She slowly encircled her own arms around him. It felt like she would wash away in her river of tears if she wasn’t holding him so tightly, anchored to the heartbeat she felt under his skin. “Please, Ed,” she whimpered, “I can only take so much.” She could hear his breath catch in his throat as clung to him. 

“I know. I just need to make sure you’re always safe,” he murmured, stroking her hair tenderly, and she felt herself melt away into his affectionate touch. “Maybe it is selfish, but I could never risk losing you.” He pulled back from their embrace to look into her azure eyes. Ed cupped her cheeks as he wiped away her tears gently with his thumbs. “I’ll be better about it. Another promise,” he added with a smirk, “I will never hurt you again, Winry. I promise.” 

Winry raised her hand to touch his, intertwining her warm fingers with the metallic ones she had gifted him so long ago. She gave him a small smile and shoved him back playfully with her other hand, but didn’t object. “I’ll call you out if I need to, though,” she added. He laughed (his initial instinct to flinch was not so far off after all) and pulled her into a hug once more, listening to her heart thumping against his, gathering the courage to pull away and let her finish her automail magic.


End file.
